New Release Tuesday: National(ly Endorsed) Edition

A year ago this week, the best album of 2007 was released. This week last year, The National dropped Boxer, a melancholy tour de force that captivated the many of the rest of the year. Not only was I one to sit on the Album of the Year bandwagon, but Paste did as well, having them on front of their year-end issue with the statement: "These men made the best album of 2007, but do you even know who they are?" or something close to resembling that.

To celebrate the anniversary of Boxer (or maybe it is just sheer coincidence,) the Brooklyn five-piece release the DVD/EP combo A Skin, A Night / The Virginia EP this week. Where Night is the long-awaited documentary from famed Takeaway Show maker Vincent Moon, Virginia is a 12 song EP filled with Boxer b-sides (the amazing "Blank Slate,") demos ("Slow Show,") a new song ("You've Done It Again, Virginia") and a near nine-minute live take on their typical set closer ("About Today"). Night is an hour long piece showing the band hard at work on Boxer and the tension that may or may not be there (?) set to some beautifully shot footage of train tracks and city lights.

View: A Skin, A Night clips [here] // Buy: A Skin, A Night / The Virginia EP [here]